If it's Sunday, it must be Thailand

It is quite the body shock to go from 17 degrees in Seoul, Korea to 90 degrees in Bangkok, Thailand. Korea rocked our socks. We had great hosts who insured a great experience. Thank you so much, Henderson Family!Now - it is good to be hot.Our home in Bangkok is the uber swanky American Embassy compound. My beloved Miss Peg lives at Brideshead Revisited. This place is all teak floors, incredible art and 10 miles of couches. I counted 40 kitchen cabinets before I gave up. My bedroom has a sit down shower and a bidet. Sersly folks, Leslie and I have landed in clover. Yesterday we went to Chatuchak Market. Think about 6 football fields filled with vendors from all over the world. The sights, sounds and bargains had us walking around like hillbillies saying ‘goolleee’ about every 10 seconds.We started today in Lumpini Park. At 6:30am it was hopping – people doing Tai Chi, jogging and swing dancing. I about wore out my eyeballs boggling at the 4 foot long monitor lizards that were swimming in the boating lakes. The farmer’s market (what an amazing smell we discovered: dried squid) was in full swing, so we bought mangos and sticky rice for breakfast. We were very proud that we made it there and back (one block walk) without getting hit by a car. The traffic here is awesome, plus we were dodging the local free-ranging wildlife - soi dogs. I really didn’t come to Thailand to get rabies shots…. We spent the afternoon at the Jim Thompson house. I’m coming down firmly on the side of Thai silk and Asian artwork in general. Plus – the restaurant was a cool and welcome relief. Food talk: I had half a pineapple stuffed with rice and shrimp. I tried a little of some kind of sauce on a slice of cucumber and my eyes watered for hours. As I sat there choking, the waitress came to our table and helpfully took the sauce away from the table while she laughed at me. Leslie talked me into my first ever massage. We went to the Lavana spa where two tiny Thai women re-arranged my molecules from my scalp to my soles. It was every bit as good as the first time I kissed Mr. Wonderful. I am so definitely doing that again before I leave Thailand. Leslie and I feel like sophisticated Asian travelers, we managed to navigate the BTS (Bangkok metro) without getting lost. We are as delighted as if we had a successful first day of kindergarten.We’re back at the palace with a plate of apple crumble. Life is good.